


The Dusk Dragon Awakens

by CyrilOdahviing



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: But with a difference, Female Awakening!Robin, Gen, Grandmaster!Robin, Reincarnation, Revelations Route, Robin in Revelations, What if Robin was in Corrin's body
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-08-20 01:21:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8231290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyrilOdahviing/pseuds/CyrilOdahviing
Summary: After the final battle with Grima, Robin struck the final blow. She disappeared, but instead of dying like she expected, she wakes up in a treehouse and to a young man calling her Lady Corrin. Stuck in a body that isn't hers, Robin is forced to walk the path of a dragon princess. With two kingdoms after her head and facing an invisible army, Robin will have to call upon all of her considerable experience to come out on the other side alive. Haunted by the memories of her past, perhaps she can even find someone to heal the wounds left from her previous life.
Witness a wizened and weathered general's path in a world full of uncertainty and strife. Watch as Ylisse's greatest tactician takes the Valla war by storm. Anankos will rue the day he declared war on the human world.





	1. Awakening

When she opened her eyes, it was to see wooden rafters above her, speckled with what looked like leaves woven around the wood. 

_Strange_ , she thought, she doesn’t recall her tent having rafters. Or having a ceiling made from anything other than rope and canvas. 

Then she flexed her fingers and they curled around luxurious sheets, and this time she turned her head to the side, her eyes widening at the soft downy pillow under her head and the creamy sheets she was lying on. _What in Naga’s name?!_

Springing upright, she stared at her covered lap in confusion. Where was she? This was clearly not-

“Milady!” a man’s relieved cry made her whip her head to the left, “You’re awake!” He darted over to her side, concern clearly etched onto his features. 

“What-?” was all she could croak out before he lifted a mug of water to her lips.

“Please, milady, drink this,” the man, who was some sort of butler by his choice of attire, coaxed. 

Stunned, she complied, and gulped greedily as she soothed her parched throat. Within moments the mug was empty. Thanking the man, she observed his features, his demeanour, and his disposition towards her. 

Not an older man, but not a younger one either. He would be around her age, perhaps a few years more. Silver hair – pulled back and neatly braided out of his eyes. For efficiency or to be kept out of the way in combat? His grey eyes were soft and gentle, open and trusting – clearly completely open and trusting and concerned for her. His clothes were of a foreign make, not Ylissean or Feroxi, but had echoes of Plegian influences. Clearly a butler, yes, but hers? She didn’t recognise him, not from Ylisse or her war campaign. 

Gauntleted hands, claw tipped, and a dagger at his waist, a stave at the other. Not just a butler then, but a bodyguard as well?

“Lady Corrin, I’m so glad you’re awake. How are you feeling?” he asked her gently, as though anything louder than a whisper might startle her.

Corrin? Her name was Robin…unless she remembered her name wrongly which would be nigh impossible – even with her amnesia the one thing she held onto was her name. She was about to mention that fact, but the utter dedication in his eyes and open features made her gut churn a little, and she smiled wanly, “How long have I been out?” Best not to tip them off just yet. 

“You’ve been unconscious for a week, milady,” he returned her smile. “We almost lost you more than once. Please don’t do that again, Lady Corrin. My heart couldn’t bear it.”

Robin furrowed her brow and thought hard. What was her last memory?

The butler must have seen her confused features, and elaborated, “After you transformed back into a human and retrieved Yato, you fell unconscious. We couldn’t wake you, and the healers have reported that your heart stopped multiple times. The transformation must have taken a toll on your body, and it collapsed due to the strain.”

Transformation? From what? The question was on the tip of her tongue when a warm glow against her chest brought her attention to it. 

“Ah, and Lady Azura gave you that Dragonstone. She said it would help control your transformations.”

A Dragonstone…she had the ability to turn into a dragon then. But she was never a manakete, nor did she have the blood of one. Grima’s Fell Blood shouldn’t have been powerful enough to make transformations possible. 

_Grima!_

She peered up, and the butler was waiting for her reaction. “I see. I…I might need more rest,” she hinted, and the man seemed to get it, for he nodded and rose from her bedside. 

“I shall be but a call away, milady,” he bowed and strode off, closing the wooden door behind him quietly.

Left alone with her thoughts, Robin curled in on herself and let out a shaky breath. Grima…That was her last memory. She struck down the Fell Dragon in place of Chrom, dooming herself to death but freeing the world of the threat of Grima. Or at least…she should have. Robin almost smacked herself in the face when she ripped her hand from under the sheets, and almost sobbed out loud when she saw the mark of Grima still seared onto the back of her hand.

No…her tie to Grima…

She allowed herself one sob, one tear, then steeled herself to stare at the mark once more. Something had changed about it, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She couldn’t hear his/her malicious whispers in her ears anymore, nor could she feel the malign pressure upon her mind. Instead, she felt drained, as though she had spent the day training with Frederick followed by a rigorous casting session with Miriel and Laurent. And also…

At peace. Balanced. Whole. 

In the days leading up to the final confrontation, she had been on edge and hollow. It might have been from the power that Grima was channelling through her and her future self. However, she suspected it might have been because Grima and she were separate. Now…now they were one? 

Robin closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. Yes, that seemed the only logical conclusion. The Grandmaster treasured her absolutes and cold hard logic, no matter her flexibility. 

But logic and absolutes could not explain how she was now ‘Corrin’ and held a dragonstone. At least, she could not think of a reason on the spot.

Was this the afterlife that Naga intended for her? Could this have been her past, the one where she grew up in Plegia? Something didn’t add up. A dreaming death didn’t seem too farfetched, but at the same time an afterlife wasn’t out of the cards either. Or did she fall into an Outrealm and lose her memories again? 

Panic overtook her senses, and Robin had to gulp several deep, calming breaths to calm her whirring mind. Stop, she reminded herself and stared out the window at the clear blue sky and the wide green canopy of the forest beyond her window. _What do you see? Look at the present, conclude from evidence. Stop jumping to conclusions. There must be a reason._

With that mantra in mind, she first dropped her gaze to her hands and avoided looking at the grim mark on the back of her right hand. They were smooth, slightly more slender and graceful than her own, tipped with oval shaped nails that were almost like claws. But they were also definitely smaller than she remembered.

Alright, clearly not the hands she remembered having. She clenched them and was stunned at the sheer strength that easily drove the sharp points of her nails into her palms, drawing beads of blood. _Yep, clearly not her hands, but ones she was in control of._ Robin shook her head and a lock of silvery-pink hair fell over her shoulder. The hair colour was perhaps lighter than her own, though its curls were unfamiliar. Her hand lifted to curl that lock back over her ear and froze at feeling the pointed tip of her ear.

_Right, Dragonstone. Therefore, manakete._ She remembered being oh so intrigued by Nowi’s and Tiki’s elven-like ears, knowing from memory that it was a sensitive part of their body and had much greater hearing than a human, though perhaps not as great as a Taguel’s. 

The tactician trembled as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. There was one last thing she needed to do to try and make sense of this madness. 

Her eyes scanned the room, absently noting that she could see leaves poking up from the floorboards, the sunshine beaming in from several windows, and that she could make out the miniscule particles of dust floating in the corners. Enhanced eyesight. She should have accounted for that, too, what with being a manakete. 

Ah. A mirror, just what she needed. It was facing the door, away from her, so she couldn’t see her reflection from where she was standing.

Robin gulped and padded forward, habit making her footsteps silent, even on the floorboards that had creaked slightly when the butler had crossed them. Three strides left. Then two. One.

She just had to take one more step, and then she would be able to see herself in the mirror. 

Panic abounded in her mind, causing her heart to race and her body to tremble. Was she ready? Was she ready to confirm what suspicions were floating in the back of her mind?

A shake of the head to disperse those thoughts. She was a tactician. A grandmaster who fought and won three wars. To be toppled by something as little as a fear of seeing her reflection...for shame.

Her foot moved, and then she was standing before the mirror.

A gasp escaped her lips, and her hands clenched instinctively, smearing her blood over her palms and rending new wounds in already bloodied skin.

Clearly… _clearly she was not Robin anymore._

The first thing she noticed was that she was slimmer than she used to be. While not broad or overweight, Robin always had a muscular heft to her that fitted her one-time class of Hero, and had –from then on- looked like a paler version of Flavia. This…Corrin…had a willowy figure, akin to a nimble dancer than a solid hulking warrior. 

Her figure elongated her legs, made her look taller than she actually was. Robin sadly noted that she stood perhaps half a head shorter than she used to be, maybe more. She always enjoyed meeting the eyes of most of her male comrades and towering over all of her female soldiers (save for Cordelia, who was as tall as she was). Now…well she would have to get used to it.

Eyes the colour of darkened, dried blood stared back at her, and Robin smiled grimly at it. Were her eyes – Corrin’s eyes- always like that, or was it a result of Grima’s influence? Her face looked enough like her own to make her sigh in relief. The only difference was perhaps the gentle set of her eyes and the rounder jaw, but otherwise it was the face she has always seen in the mirror. Albeit much younger than she remembered.

Pale silver-pink hair tumbled down her back in wild waves and gentle curls, and she amusedly thought that it made her look younger and more innocent than she was, physically anyway. She reasoned she could replicate her usual hairdo, part her fringe and leave it to frame her face while the rest was gathered in a tight, neat ponytail. Robin couldn’t imagine fighting with her wild locks flying all over the place. 

Alright, it wasn’t too much of a shock, she let go of the breath she didn’t realise she had been holding. She could work with her appearance, though losing her height was a sore point. 

Robin looked around the room and instinctively noted the windows and door. They overlooked the rest of the grounds of some castle, but from her bed and where she stood, an assassin would be hard pressed to be able to snipe her from another rooftop. Not unless they had one hell of a bow and arm. Her house – she assumed it was a house- towered over the other buildings, and she could see the forest and horizon clear over the walls of the castle. She was far inside enough that arrows couldn’t reach her, not even when they stood on the balustrade of the walls. Yes, a defensible position, one that afforded her a clear top down view of the grounds. 

Whoever built the house clearly had a head for defence.

The sword and armour mounted beside and on a mannequin near her armoire caught her attention next, and she padded over to touch the gleaming silver and black pieces. She ran her fingers over the metal, awed that it felt suppler than plate, but not as malleable as mail. Whoever crafted this set had an eye for style and practicality, though it was missing boots. She cocked her head at it and squirmed her toes into the wood, realising that the soles of her feet were tough and barely felt the grain of the floor. Ah, Corrin must prefer going barefoot. Though she didn’t recall Nowi and Tiki preferring to go without some form of footwear, she reasoned that not all manaketes were like the two- three that she met. 

Gleaming next to the mannequin was a sword upon a display, unique in its design as Falchion was. Much like a broadsword, it had a golden blade that had intricate carvings in the flat of the blade. Robin idly thought it looked like the eyes of Grima.  
Well, at least Corrin wielded a weapon that Robin knew how to use. She had a brief stint as a Dark Flier, and boy did she regret it. Working with a lance was as unfamiliar to her as an axe, and for the duration of her experience as a Dark Flier, she exclusively relied on tomes to get through battles, and the result was her tome proficiency skyrocketing. Once she could shed the armour and role of a Dark Flier, she did, and she was never more relieved. She hated having to look out for archers. 

Speaking of tomes…

Robin eyed the bookshelf in the corner of the room and noted the absence of any tomes whatsoever. Perhaps Corrin was unable to use magic? 

Her heart raced as she channelled her magic to her fingers, willing for the wounds on her hand to heal. It was basic, even more so than conjuring flame or lightning or wind, and if she could do even that, then…

To her utmost relief, the bloodied wounds on her palms began to close ever so slowly, the skin knitting itself together much more slowly than she was used to.

Ah, so Corrin could wield magic. But Robin could feel the weakness in her body from doing just that. Hmmm, untrained and untried in the magical arts it seemed. She would have to correct that if she was to be effective in battle. 

With the absence of any tomes, she might have to write her own. Not something she was unfamiliar with – having written Valflame to topple Walhart’s army.

Sinking into a seat by a desk, Robin sighed and decided that she would have to write all her favourite spells again. If this was indeed a different universe, a different timeline, Thoron and Excalibur might not exist. Plus, having to bleed every time she casted a spell seemed too wasteful and counterproductive. She would have to find the butler ( _Jakob_ , her subconscious supplied, _loyal, dedicated, beloved Jakob_ ) to request for an empty tome to write in.

With that in mind, she nodded and moved to put on a shirt and a pair of slacks that she found by her bedside. As she shrugged the shirt on, she hunted around for a pair of gloves mindlessly, pulling them on after her slacks. Robin would have to remember to wear gloves, lest people spot the tattoo on her hand. Walking around barefoot was instinctual, and Robin found herself not even bothering to look for footwear as she exited the house. Just as she swung open the door, she froze.

Oh. Oh. So that was why her house towered over all the others. _She was in a freaking treehouse._

“A fucking treehouse,” she muttered under her breath in incredulity. “What the fuck?”

“Lady Corrin!” a feminine voice gasped from her left. Robin found her head turning in response to the name, even as she knew deep down that it wasn’t her name.

“Felicia,” the name tumbled from her lips (Corrin must be awake somewhere in there. Or maybe her memories were affecting Robin in the way Grima’s weren’t able to).

The pink haired…maid? Maid. The pink haired maid smiled so wide that it almost split her delicate face in half. “I’m so glad you’re awake, my lady! Are you hungry, milady? Thirsty? I-I could get some snacks for you!” 

Ah, perhaps Corrin’s friend more than the manakete’s maid. The devotion in the pinkette’s eyes were not feigned, nor was the earnest urge to please that was evident on her pretty face. 

“I-,” Robin started, about to say that she wanted to go for a walk, but was interrupted by her stomach growling. “Ah, perhaps I could do with a sandwich or two. Thank you, Felicia.”

The maid beamed at her and bowed before scurrying away, leaving Robin to stand at the railing alone. 

The smile that had spread across her lips when speaking to the maid died to a small frown as she leaned against the wooden rail, fingers rubbing her forehead. She stared down at her gloved hand, wondering if Corrin had some measure of control over her body, even though Robin was the one walking around and talking. 

_What in Naga’s name has happened to me? Where am I?_

A deep breath. Exhale. Robin focused, trying to consolidate what she knew. Clothes of a different make and design than any that she knew of – and she knew quite a lot. Both from her readings and her travels. Names that were foreign enough that they didn’t sound Ylissean or Valmese. Chon’sin was clearly out of the question, as was Feroxi and Plegian. Architecture that didn’t match any that existed that she knew of, and she has definitely never seen a castle quite like this one. Perhaps it had some influence from Chon’sin culture, but it was only in the dark grey tiles and little else. 

Corrin was clearly a noble of some decent standing; nobles were the only ones who would have servants, particularly those who wore a uniform while on the job. Not to mention that her treehouse was situated in the courtyard of a sprawling castle slash fortress. Yep, definitely a person of some import, this Corrin was.

Something else felt off about this place. Too peaceful for one, and too still for another. She could hear water trickling somewhere, as well as the rustling of leaves of some kind. Birds were scarce, and there were no animal sounds as far as she could hear. No place could have so little wildlife, not in a forested area such as this. And that was not counting the pink trees that lined the streets. Pink trees! Well, perhaps they weren’t really pink, she thought as she looked closer. There was some green interspersed in that mass of pink, and she realised that the tree was flowering, and those flowers were pink!

Definitely not something she had ever seen or read about before. 

_Perhaps she was in a nation near Chon’sin?_ But it still wouldn’t explain how the butler and the maid ( _Jakob and Felicia_ , her mind hissed) had clothes that didn’t match their surroundings. 

Below her, she observed the streets and saw no one. It was strange. Such a beautifully built castle, yet it was unattended, not even patrolled by guards or soldiers?

Her mind whirred even more, and she slumped against the rail in exhaustion. She still hadn’t recovered from her fatigue, and using what mana she did was a mistake as her arms grew numb, a sign of mana exhaustion.

“M-My lady?” a timid voice called to her.

Despite her exhaustion, she still had the mental faculty to whirl around and reach for a dagger that wasn’t at her waist. Robin froze in place, realising her reaction, and coughed, straightening against the railing.

Felicia stood behind her, Jakob not too far behind, holding a tray full of sandwiches and a teapot. “Lady Corrin?” she repeated herself, sounding concerned, her hand wavering as she took a step. 

The butler – _Jakob!_ Her mind growled at her- whisked the tray away from Felicia, and approached Robin with measured steps. “My lady, you should be resting. You just woke up,” he voiced the sentiment that Felicia was trying to imply, his expression a worried one. 

Robin waved their concern off with a flippant hand, “I’m fine. Just needed some fresh air. I…” She looked over the courtyard and spotted a tree by a small lagoon. “I’m going for a walk. Mind if I take those sandwiches with me?” 

Her request must have surprised the two servants, for they exchanged a veiled look ( _suspicious, not Corrin’s behaviour. Clearly the girl must be more timid than this._ ). After a heartbeat, Jakob smiled gently and bowed, “Of course, milady. If you would give me a moment, I will put together a picnic basket and accompany you.”

“Oh!” Robin waved her hands in front of her. “There’s no need. I can just wrap them in a handkerchief and-”

The duo looked scandalised, and Jakob tutted, “That won’t do, Lady Corrin. Please, I’ll only be a moment. And you must be famished after sleeping for so long. Surely one sandwich will not be enough!” He darted away, admirably balancing the tray perfectly as he rounded the corner. 

Felicia clasped her hands behind her back cutely and started toeing the ground, “My Lady Corrin must be exhausted, please let Jakob take care of you?” 

Faced with the cute image, Robin huffed and leaned back against the railing, feeling the ache in her thighs from her sharp movement earlier. Maybe some help won’t be too bad. She glanced down at the trapdoor. Probably no stairs, just a ladder. Yeah, maybe she’d need the help. 

She turned her head back to the maid, who had drawn closer in her distraction. Felicia smiled timidly and kept a modest distance, though she brought her arms to the front, as though ready to catch her if she collapsed. 

_You have such loyal friends, Corrin,_ Robin thought as she exhaled loudly through her nose. “Alright, maybe some company won’t be too bad.”

As she said that, Jakob returned with a modest picnic basket in hand. “Ready, milady,” he beamed at her and motioned for her to lead the way. Felicia, meanwhile, had moved to station herself beside a pulley. Ah, a platform. 

Robin almost smacked her head as she grumbled inwardly. Of course there would be a moving platform to traverse the levels when a ladder was out of the question. Instead, she padded over to the outline of the platform, making sure to hear her own footfalls as she did so. 

Before long, they were on the ground, and Robin paused to wriggle her toes into the soft loam and grass at the base of her tree. It was soft, softer than she remembered grass to be. Or perhaps she had felt nothing but hard packed dirt under her feet for too long. Too many marches over too long a period. 

She stayed there for a heartbeat too long, for Jakob paused by her right shoulder but said nothing. 

_Jakob always understood her love for nature, for the feel of grass and soil under her feet-_

There it went again, Corrin’s little inputs that allowed Robin to get a feel for the butler. Robin breathed in deep, enjoying the fresh smell of the wild, before she started walking in the direction that she saw the lagoon. Jakob was silent as they walked, his feet making much more noise than hers. 

No one approached them as they walked, a fact that Robin found as disconcerting as she found it refreshing. In the five years she had been with the Shepherds, she had not gone a day where someone hadn’t felt the need to speak to her about something. War tactics, the day’s march, or even random requests. She had heard them all, and to walk the open streets without a soul approaching her…it was strange. 

The absence of people didn’t leave an eerie atmosphere, though, only a quiet, peaceful one. She could see the chimneys of several buildings puffing smoke, but she couldn’t hear anyone within them. 

Her bare feet slapped against the paved roads rhythmically, the beat matched by Jakob’s slower steps. Robin glanced back, now aware of her height more than ever with her head only barely reaching Jakob’s shoulders. If she were in her own body, she would probably only be an inch or two shorter than the butler. Disgruntled, she turned back to the road, taking her own sweet time to get to the lagoon. 

Walking gave her a greater sense of Corrin’s physical capabilities. Unlike her original tall, muscular build, Corrin was slighter and weaker. She could tell by the slight burning in her legs as she walked; even one’s first draconic transformation couldn’t have knocked them unconscious, Nowi and Tiki had said so, and even Nah backed them up on it. There must have been some physical exertion before or after her transformation to fatigue her to that point. Of course, a manakete’s stamina was leaps and bounds ahead of any human’s. Still, Corrin’s body felt weak, and Robin hated that feeling. She would have to train to get a feel of her capabilities soon. 

Engrossed in her thoughts, Robin didn’t realise they had reached the lagoon until Jakob made a sound.

“You wished to visit the pearl lagoon, Lady Corrin? I didn’t realise you liked the lagoon much,” the butler lifted a finger to his chin in surprise. 

Robin quirked her lips, “Just wanted a change of scenery, is all.” Her eyes eyed the glittering surface of the water as she made her way to the arching blossoming tree that stood on the embankment of the lagoon. Cradled in the roots of the great tree and shaded by its generous canopy, she plopped down, patting the ground next to her. “Sit down, Jakob.”

The butler merely huffed out a laugh and knelt next to her, setting the basket between them. “I took the liberty of changing the tea to chamomile, milady. I’m afraid Felicia’s attempt had made the Earl Grey very bitter,” he set a sandwich upon a plate and handed it to her.

Robin raised a brow, “Surely it couldn’t have been very bitter?” The sandwich was heavenly, she mused in her mind as she scarfed it down. 

Setting another sandwich on her empty plate the moment the last of the bread was stuffed into her mouth, Jakob let out a small laugh, “Yes, milady. I tasted the tea myself.”

Huh. Guess the maid wasn’t a very good maid after all. 

_Felicia was a simple girl. Good at fighting and ice spells, but little else. Poor little Felicia was always stumbling around, a failure compared to Flora and Jakob. Little clumsy Felicia._

Robin chewed slowly, sipping on the tea every now and then as she studied the surface of the lagoon. Something told her that Corrin’s little inputs would become very useful in time to come. 

Before long, Robin had polished off the entire basket, tea included, much to Jakob’s amusement. 

“I’m glad the sandwiches were to your taste, milady,” he demurred and placed the plates and teapot back into the basket. “At least Felicia can put together something decent.”

Robin snorted, “Guess turning into a dragon and all takes a toll on the stomach.” And proceeded to roll over onto her front to nuzzle into the grass. The scent of nature, combined with the gentle laps of the water against the shore, lulled her into a light doze, which eventually dragged her into the realm of dreams.

Guess her body needed the rest after all.


	2. Sinking In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin's situation is slowly sinking in. With no way out of Corrin's body, there's only one thing she can do right now: move forward. Time to find out if she can survive in this new world she's been hurled into.
> 
> \--Mostly Robin-centric while I figure out the rest of the chapters--

The next day, Robin awoke in the treehouse again. _Must have been brought back by Jakob_ , she surmised, and laid in bed for a while longer. As much as she enjoyed the luxury of lying in, Robin felt much more energised. Her mana reserves, as pitiful as they were, had regenerated, and her body was free of aches and soreness. 

_Oh right. Manaketes had a faster healing rate than most others._

“Can’t just lounge around in bed all day,” she murmured to herself and hauled herself upright, dropping her hands into her lap. The sight of her slender, smooth hands were something that she thought she would never get used to. Corrin was something of a swordsman, if the golden blade sitting in its stand was anything to go by. The lack of callouses, however, was curious. There were some remnants of an old blister on the inside of her thumb and forefinger, but nothing more. No tough skin on her palms from the leather of a sword handle, no scars from nicking blades. 

It only brought the reality of her situation on her head again. What in Naga’s name did she get into again? 

“At least I didn’t wake up in a field this time,” she quipped quietly to herself with a sad sort of amusement. That would be embarrassing. 

Then she shook her head. No more mulling about things she couldn’t control. Time to actually do something productive. 

_Productive? It would be really nice to just lay in bed and do nothing all day…No one’s here to conduct lessons for me or to drag me out of my chambers._

If she had any doubts about how sheltered Corrin was, that just tossed them out the window. How in the world did a girl like Corrin get personalised armour and a sword as unique as the golden blade? Surely it wasn’t due to her manakete status, Robin furrowed her brow and clutched her dragonstone as she swung her legs out of bed. After all, Corrin just had her first transformation. And- 

When her feet failed to touch the floor at first, Robin stopped dead in her tracks – thought-wise anyway. Oh. _Right._

_She was a bloody head SHORTER_. That pricked Robin more than she thought it would. Divine Dragons, she hadn’t been this short since she was a teen! Or…she would have been anyway, had she regained the memories of her past. Cursing her host’s shorter stature under her breath, she ignored the larger distance between the bed and the floor and got to her feet. 

The armour on the stand was meticulously maintained as far as Robin could tell. Its silver and black finish was gleaming and she could see her reflection in the spotless metal. Then her eyes were drawn to the pale grey leather skirt and Robin deflated with a quiet groan. Of course there would be a crotch window. Of course. 

She grumbled at the indecency. Who liked to flash their parts anyway? 

Beggars couldn’t be choosers though, and apparently Corrin had no other sets of armour. She could go about her day in training leathers – Robin could have sworn she spotted one yesterday – but it would be smart to bite the bullet and see if her body remembered how to put the set of armour on. Naga forbid if there was emergency and she couldn’t even gear herself up in her own armour. Well, Corrin’s armour, but at this point there was no denying that they were one and the same. 

The only upside was that it was stylish, at the very least. 

Eyeing the good sized wardrobe next to the mirror, she opened it to see three sets of a black skin tight _crotchless_ undersuit. Dear Naga, she wasn’t going to catch a break these days was she. Common sense told her that it was so she could easily zip to the bushes without taking off her trousers – now that was a scene – and her underwear were separate from the suit. 

Still… 

She rubbed her face. It was like the blasted Dark Knight uniform again, except her backside would be covered. What were the chances she could get away with a uniform change? 

“Not bleeding likely,” she grumbled to herself with resignation. The thick fabric of the undersuit was well worn and soft, and from the lack of other casual wear, it appeared to be the most frequently worn garment. Other than the single set of training leathers that hung aside from the others, that is. Robin frowned at the observation. 

A girl with two servants at her beck and call, with her own castle and treehouse, and she only had four sets of clothing and perhaps a change or two of casual wear? Something didn’t add up. Corrin was no warrior, no soldier. Even a manakete would have accumulated callouses from constantly wielding weapons or from constantly tearing their skin. 

After all, if even Nowi – a full blooded manakete – had callouses from the shackles that bound her for years, surely Corrin would have at least one or two on her palm from training. The buttery training leathers were clearly well used, not something that a novice would achieve without at least months of constant wear. 

Robin fiddled with the sleeve of one of the undersuits for a moment, her teeth worrying her lip as she thought. Corrin was one contradiction after another. 

_The only time I could stand out in the sun was when I was brought to the sparring grounds._

There it was; Corrin’s little inputs. Now that she was actually listening, Robin thought that Corrin sounded very young and innocent. And…perhaps also a little sad. 

_Xander thought it would be good for me to learn how to fight. He taught me swordplay whenever he came by the Northern Fortress._

Xander? A mentor or teacher perhaps. Corrin clearly held the man in high esteem. 

_I keep forgetting how nice it is to feel a breeze on my skin. To feel grass under my feet and water lapping at my fingers._

The words carried sadness, but the voice that relayed them were wistful. Almost on instinct, Robin turned her gaze to the wide expanse of the castle courtyard, drenched in the early morning sun. A good day for training, as Frederick would have said. 

Another thing that she missed: the clanking of Freddy bear’s armour as he strode ahead to clear the way of pebbles and rocks. (“I’m a knight, not a nanny,” he would say with a miffed expression on his stern face, though a smile would be tugging at his thin lips.) 

What she would have given to be with her friends again. She would have to hope that her bonds with them were great enough to reunite her with them once she was done with…whatever she had been sent here to do. 

Robin shook her head. What good would it do for her to reminisce? Best to throw herself into action, to get things done. 

The freshly laundered undersuit was a bit tricky to figure out how to put on, particularly since she missed the small buttons that ran up along its side. It was like Chrom’s onesie all over again. She shivered at the memory and quickly squeezed into the suit, then shivered again at the feeling of baring her inner thighs. Goodness, that would take some getting used to. 

The armour, however, was a different story. Armour, metal or leather, was familiar territory for Robin. The silver greaves made her scratch her head a little, but she undid the three buckles and slid her leg in. A belt around her waist secured the tops of the greaves to her hips. Her chest plate was a lot easier to figure out, and the latches at the sides came away easily. The strangely flexible shell went over her head and closed over her chest like a second skin. Once it was buckled into place, Robin was pleased to note that the skirt and its crotch window wasn’t as obvious as she had feared it to be. Now it just showed her right thigh instead of both. Great. She sighed and tried to pull the skirt to cover the revealed flesh to no avail. 

As she slipped on the slim gauntlets – Naga, they were like slender sticks; had her own forearms ever been that thin? – she spotted the navy cloak up on the stand. 

To train with the cape or not, that was the question. 

Training without the cape made sense; it caused drag and prevented her from performing more acrobatic feats of martial arts unlike her tactician’s coat, which was weighed down by the number of trinkets stored in its pockets. On the other hand, it would do her well to familiarise herself with it; apparently it was part of Corrin’s ensemble and she would seem strange without it. 

And she definitely didn’t want another situation like Chrom’s when he first wore the Great Lord’s cape to training. Now _that_ was a fiasco. 

_The cape was so cool when I first got it. But then it would get in my way and I’d waste so much time trying to get it to twirl the other way. One time I stumbled because of it, and Jakob had to save me from getting skewered by a Hoshidan ninja._

What were those terms that Corrin was using? Hoshidan? Ninja? More questions and fewer answers. 

Robin stood for a moment more to deliberate on her choice, then decided to put the cape back on its hook. Best if she didn’t trip over it before she got used to this body and its limits. For all she knew, Corrin’s body wouldn’t be capable of the athletic feats Robin was used to. The golden blade, however, seemed to beckon Robin to it. Was it to her as Falchion was to Chrom? Only one way to find out. 

She grasped the handle in her right hand and lifted it, marvelling at how it was lighter than a broadsword, yet heavy enough to have power in the swing. Perfectly balanced, it was a swordsman’s dream. It was slightly longer than the silver sword or the Levin sword she was used to, but she could get used to it. It almost felt like it was made for her. 

_Yato, the divine blade. The blade chose me to be its sole wielder._

Yup, definitely her version of Falchion. Robin grimaced as she twirled the sword in her hand. A shiver went down her spine at the implications. 

It went into the sheath on her left, and Robin absently made a note to fashion a sword belt to tether it to her back. With her usual fighting style, putting her blade on her left would leave her unbalanced, what with her usual tome being holstered on the same side. 

As she exited her house, Robin peered around the corners to ensure Jakob and Felicia were nowhere around, and to her luck she heard no peep from them. Not even a footstep or a breath. Good enough, she thought, and descended the ladder with an adroitness that was beyond Robin’s capabilities before. 

Hmm, agile. Good, it would make up for the lack of strength she could already feel in her arms. Corrin had incredible grip, for sure, but her arms weren’t built enough to wield Yato one handed. More things to work on, Robin supposed. 

Finding the training grounds wasn’t difficult, not when it was surrounded by a low fence and several sheltered racks full of equipment. Trees created natural shelter for one side of the grounds, but it was otherwise clear and had hard packed dirt for the ground. Perfect. 

Robin set Yato aside reverently, taking off her sword belt and laying it beside the blade. Stretching proved an interesting experience for Robin, for Corrin’s body was inflexible as they came. Nimble but inflexible? What an oxymoron, Robin laughed as she slowly began to contort her body to get it used to the feeling. Splits, bridges, handstands, headstands, and more followed Robin’s stretching, until she was sure her body was limber enough to try a few katas. 

While unarmed, Robin preferred to use a combination of quick jabs and low sweeps to compliment her more acrobatic stunts. Without a sparring partner, she couldn’t be sure of her proficiency with her more creative takedowns, but her punches were slower than they used to, and her kicks didn’t snap quite right. 

Even the dummy could attest to it, for while the straw stuffed body certainly took a beating, the stuffing wasn’t quite beaten out of it. 

Robin huffed and leaned her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Alright, Corrin’s stamina didn’t seem too bad. Her heart was racing, sure, and she was panting a little, but at least she hadn’t broken that much of a sweat. 

Next, swordplay. Yato felt light in her hand as she ran through basic cuts and strikes, moving only forwards and backwards to get a feel of her footwork. Corrin’s slight frame meant she was lighter on her feet than Robin was, and with that in mind Robin set to doing a kata that included some of the fancier footwork that she knew of. Corrin’s body followed it precisely without a stumble, and Robin grinned at the realisation that she could finally try out some of her more daring stunts. 

That was while wielding Yato with two hands, though, and just from those few lengthy katas alone, Robin could feel her arms burning ever so slightly. She would have to build up some upper body strength, or she wouldn’t last a minute in a proper battle. Still, the only way to improve would be to train beyond one’s limits, so Robin set to tossing Yato up and down with her right hand, then with her left. A nifty trick she picked up from Gregor and Inigo a lifetime ago. 

When she got used to the heft in her right, she darted forward in a series of strikes that would have taken three enemies down in a row. Her left was extended as though she intended to cast a spell, while her right cut down those in reach. It was only an hour later, though, that she accidentally let Yato go as she lost control over her hand. 

“Fuck!” Robin cursed and gripped her right wrist. It was twitching and cramping, a sign that she took things too far. Damn Corrin’s weak body. 

She sighed and collapsed onto the dusty ground, groaning as she finally gave herself some respite. Her hair was plastered to her face with sweat, and she could feel her sodden undersuit sticking against her skin. Her leather gloves were clearly soaked through and slightly ripped in some places when she had rubbed against Yato’s grip too hard. 

“Milady!” Jakob’s shocked yell brought her attention outwards, and she tilted her head back to see the loyal butler sprinting to her side. 

He skidded to a stop on his knees, just barely escaping Yato’s blade, and whipped out his stave. “Milady, are you hurt-!” 

Robin giggled at his wild eyes and relaxed against the ground, “I’m fine, Jakob. Just exhausted from training.” 

“Training, milady?!” he seemed more flabbergasted at her declaration than he was at finding her on the ground. “You’ve never-! You’ve never trained of your own volition, at least, not to this extent!” 

Which explained Corrin’s sorry physical state. 

_There were always more interesting things to do than train. Like…like reading! And exploring the gardens! But with this war…I never knew the world could be so cruel._

Oh sweet, naïve Corrin. Robin could have slapped her own forehead if she could, but all she could do was laugh. 

“I thought I should, since things seem to be getting tenser,” she murmured, more than a little of Corrin slipping out then. 

Jakob looked at her sadly, and sighed, waving his stave over her to reenergise her. “That…that is a good reason to begin, Lady Corrin,” he murmured and stood, offering his hand to her. “Here, take my hand.” 

From her position on the ground with Jakob over her, the sun shining behind him and his hand stretched out, she was struck by an image of a handsome man and a sense of dejavu. Her eyes pricked with tears and she closed them in an effort to hide them. 

_Chrom…_

Snapping her eyes open, Robin slapped her hand into the butler’s and allowed him to haul her to her feet. With her legs feeling like jelly from her brief rest, she stumbled and fell onto his chest. 

All Jakob could do was laugh, and he stood still as Robin pushed herself off his sturdy chest with an embarrassed blush on her face. “Allow me to escort you back to your room, milady,” he bowed when she stepped away from him. “You shouldn’t have been training so hard after your coma.” 

The tactician laughed and picked up Yato, “Probably? But I was itching to do something that didn’t include lying down on a bed.” 

That quip earned her a bemused smile from the man, who inclined his head, “A surprising idea, coming from you, milady. It didn’t seem too long ago that Felicia and Flora had to jolt you out of bed with ice spells.” 

_I hate mornings. I always stayed up late reading –not academic texts but books of adventure and freedom- and seldom went to bed before sunrise. That oft led to me sleeping past a reasonable hour, never rising before noon._

Corrin and her weren’t that different after all, Robin smirked and sighed. While burning the midnight oil wasn’t uncommon for Robin, by some force of habit she was usually up with the second wave of early risers. Breakfast at the mess tent was always a calm affair with only Lon’qu and Libra, and sometimes Gaius depending on the day of the week. Frederick was, as always, already puttering around camp fulfilling whatever duties he saw fit to complete that day. 

“I thought it was about time for a change,” Robin hummed, her feet bringing her to the bath house that she spotted the day before. “I’ll go back to the treehouse in a bit. A bath sounds heavenly right now.” 

At that, Jakob seemed to blush slightly, not having realised where she led them, and bobbed a quick sharp bow, “O-of course, Lady Corrin. With your permission, I shall begin preparing lunch for you and return when you have finished your bath.” 

“Go ahead,” she waved him off and slipped into the women’s bath. 

“Any requests, milady?” 

“Bear stew, if you have it?” She had begun stripping her armour and putting them into a pile. 

“Of course, milady,” he called out from the hallway. “I have already prepared the ingredients for your favourite dish, though I had intended them to be for your dinner.” 

What luck that Corrin and Robin shared favourite dishes. Robin grinned and wrapped a towel around her, “We can have bear stew for lunch and dinner. Thanks, Jakob!” 

“My pleasure, milady,” he replied and apparently entered the locker room to take her armour and undersuit, judging from the clanking and footsteps she heard behind her. There was also the sound of rustling fabric, more than Jakob’s clothes were capable of making, and she assumed he left some sort of robe for her in order to clean her armour. How kind of him. 

Turning her attention from the noise and to the bath house, she grinned at the expansive bathing chamber. The floor in the middle was sunken into a rectangular bath that was filled to the brim with steaming water. 

Having only visited Anna’s bathhouse in the Outrealms, she was unfamiliar with what bathhouses should actually look like. Still, the water was beckoning her, and she was powerless before its pull. 

The ceiling was open above her, revealing the clear blue sky as she stepped into the pool with slow, measured steps. 

Groaning with pleasure, Robin made it to the middle of the bath before she plopped herself down. Warm water splashed against her chin as she did so, her muscles relaxing from the heat of the water. 

Yes, this was the life. She sat there for a while longer, allowing the warmth to seep into her muscles and her bones. Bit by bit, she could feel her stress evaporating from her like steam, and she allowed herself to let go of her thoughts –on Corrin, on training, on this world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest of the chapters will take a while. I'll try to update once every fortnight since I'm trying to get more character development and plot into the Revelations chapters. Currently aiming to do one Revelations chapter at a time. Please let me know if there's anyone you'd like to see Robin end up with. I currently have no plans for there to be a pairing, but that can change as I go along.
> 
> This chapter has been reviewed for plot several times, so any holes or misconceptions are deliberate and will be addressed in future chapters.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	3. Facing the Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now with a firmer grasp of who and where she is, Robin takes a step into Corrin's world. As tensions rise between the two warring kingdoms, Corrin - and Robin - will be forced to make a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologise for the long wait for this chapter. Writers' block, life, school, and laziness has all played a part in its delay. Thank you to those who have left comments; I greatly appreciate it and will incorporate suggestions where possible. One thing I'd have to address is the use of Awakening skills in the Fates world. Some things like Galeforce (commonplace in Awakening but extremely rare in Fates) would require some level of creative explanation. Explanations that I haven't really thought of yet. So you won't be seeing many of these Skills until later in the story, maybe in chapter 6 or 7 when Robin actually builds Corrin up to that level. 
> 
> Let me know of any suggestions that you have that you think you'd like to see in the story and I'll see how I can put that in. Also, keep giving suggestions as to Robin's love interest since I haven't decided on one yet. Here are the prospects thus far: Odin, Chrom!Laslow, Ryoma, and Shigure. Selena's name has also come up, but I'll probably leave it as unrequited love on Selena's part. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Days passed like the blink of an eye for Robin. As she grew accustomed to the differences between her body and Corrin’s, so did her knowledge of the world. Corrin was quite the eavesdropper when she put her mind to it, and she heard many things while residing in Hoshido’s palace.

 

It turned out that servants were terrible gossips. Well informed gossips, that is. Robin dug deep into Corrin’s memories and pulled forth knowledge of the world’s kingdoms and their ruling powers. She learned of the peaceful lives that the Hoshidans lived, and the cruel tendencies of the Nohrians. But she also learned of the near emotionless detachment the Hoshidans had – almost zen-like, in comparison to the fervent passion and love for life that the Nohrians were known for.

 

And the ruling families of the two kingdoms were deeply entrenched in Corrin’s memories. Of her Nohrian siblings – deeply loving and forced to hide behind a façade for their father. Of her Hoshidan siblings – new and detached but also so incredibly kind and wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Of Mikoto, who stood out in Corrin’s memories specifically, and made Robin ache for a mother she could not remember.

 

However, Corrin’s memories were cut off from her abrupt transformation, leaving Robin with no knowledge of the goings on during the past few days. Luckily for her, Jakob and Felicia were more than happy to update her.

It was during this time that Robin nearly slipped up, stumbling around the courtyard as she did. It turned out that she was not in Hoshido – as she had suspected – but rather an Astral Realm. In particular, an Astral Realm that she had visited before and had a hand in constructing, Corrin whispered to her. Fortunately her two helpers attributed it to her exhaustion after the transformation, and remained none the wiser.

An astral realm, Robin shook her head at the thought even as she continued to pen down the chants and diagrams that would channel the power necessary to conjure Thoron. Lilith the dragon had made herself known to Robin immediately after her first day of training. Apparently Corrin saved the little dragon when she was a child or somesuch. Yet another time she almost slipped up had it not been for Corrin’s little inputs that tided her over.

 

Robin, on the other hand, was quite incredulous at the thought of the dragon being mistaken for a bird of all things. She thought it was just Corrin’s eyes tricking her, but when even Jakob and Felicia corroborated that story, Robin simply thought that someone had dropped all three of them on their heads when they were children. The dragon looked like some kind of goldfish for Naga’s sake! How did it remotely look like a bird?

 

_Well, it’s not like I’d ever seen all the species of birds in the world before._

 

A fair point, but really?

 

Stupidity and erroneous assumptions aside, Robin had brought Corrin’s strength and stamina to a more workable level. Magic was still a work in progress, and was only partially because there were no tomes available sans the ones that Robin was still in the middle of penning.

 

Robin had not been this weak since she was a girl thrown amongst the Shepherds, and even then she thought she might have had more muscle definition than Corrin’s wispy figure. Well, she supposed being a dragon would work in her favour – it was a very useful backup if she lost her weapons.

 

The Yato was still a little too heavy to wield for extended periods of time, but Robin reckoned that Corrin’s proficiency would suffice for skirmishes at the very least. Of course, full out strategic battles were out of the question.

 

Magic, well, that would take a while more. Corrin’s magic reserves were not insignificant, but her control was abysmal. Her body would inadvertently use more magic than necessary, leading to large amounts of bleeding magic that went to waste. Once fine-tuned, Robin was sure that Corrin’s body would be able to cast Thoron twice in quick succession before even feeling the drain.

 

It wasn’t the best situation, but Robin would make do with what she was given. With her luck, and Corrin’s from what Jakob had muttered, she would have to soon.

 

Boy was she right.

 

While a week went by in the Astral Realm, a mere day had gone past in the real world. Jakob and Felicia were reluctant to allow Corrin –Robin – to leave the safety of the Astral Realm, so protective they were over her since her ordeal. Unfortunately, the royal Hoshidan siblings were adamant in their insistence that Corrin return. The reason: Nohr marched upon their capital.

 

The royal siblings were not exempt from battle although they did not lead units, and while Corrin held no such rank, she would be much safer amongst their number than remaining at Castle Shirasagi sans Mikoto’s barrier. Robin was reluctant to enter battle, and she was sure that if push came to shove she could defend herself fairly well. Yet, weak and apparently defenceless Corrin would be the first to be targeted.

 

Robin didn’t like it, but she didn’t have a choice.

 

When she stepped through the portal, Jakob and Felicia trailing behind her faithfully, Robin wasn’t exactly prepared for what she would see. No doubt the architecture in the Astral Realm was vastly different, but still…this was so different it couldn’t compare.

 

It took all of Robin’s considerable control and willpower not to react at the sight of the architecture of Castle Shirasagi. Definitely resembled Chon’sin architecture, Robin thought as she pasted a smile on her face and embraced the two redheads who immediately ran to her.

 

Robin could match names to faces from Corrin’s memory. Could tell that she did not need to speak much to the two sisters in order to pass off as their long lost sister. Knew that even if she acted a little different it would make no impact on their impression of her.

 

Still, that she had to emulate Corrin’s kind and somewhat naïve countenance did make Robin grimace a little. After all, the tactician couldn’t remember a time when she was so idealistic.

 

Luckily, Corrin was kind enough to supply some hints to help Robin cement her act a little easier.

 

_I never knew them until that day. But they were so kind and welcoming, so loving despite my being an essential stranger to them…_

 

Corrin’s voice was sad as it spoke.

 

_Sakura is the youngest, so soft spoken and innocent. She trusted me, called me big sister even though I didn’t know her, didn’t recognise her._

 

The smaller redhead who had a strange looking stave on her belt nearly sobbed with relief when she hugged Robin. Her quiet voice whimpered out words that Robin couldn’t quite make out, but she patted the girl’s back nonetheless.

 

_Hinoka's the second child, but the oldest sister. She was devastated after I was kidnapped. Poured her soul into training to bring me back. But…it’s not healthy, and I don’t think it’s good for her to devote her life to bring me back._

 

The taller redhead, though only as tall as Corrin/Robin, sniffled once and wrapped her arms around them both. It called upon every ounce of her capability to act, but the two years in Ylisse’s royal court made it easier for her to slip into any skin she needed. Even without delving into Corrin’s memories.

 

Quiet reassurances made them back away and allow their eldest sibling, a tall imposing man clad in resplendent red armour, to step forward. Inwardly, Robin cringed at the sight – Walhart wore equally eye catching armour, and even the head guard was incredibly similar. Outwardly, however, Robin smiled demurely and let Corrin’s emotions bleed forward into her eyes and show upon her face.

 

They didn’t have time to waste, the Hoshidan High Prince – Ryoma – told them, and whisked them away to the front lines with an efficiency that made Robin smile in her head. It was a confidence that she saw in Chrom in the late days of their final campaign against Grima, and the thought caused a small pang of longing to fill her chest.

 

Thinking about Chrom only made her sadder, yet nostalgic. Her greatest and closest friend, a king. That clumsy man who broke swords and walls and couldn’t keep a filter between his brain and his mouth – a king. A kind, sincere man whom she once held feelings for…

 

Corrin’s consciousness stirred then, intrigued by the memories of a dashing young prince who saved a girl from a dragon. Robin chided the younger woman – after all, it was the girl who saved the young prince and his nation from a world eating dragon. The manakete was delighted by the story and the memory, and quietly dived into Robin’s memories.

 

Corrin, though awake and aware enough to whisper into Robin’s mind, had no control over her body. It didn’t seem like the manakete was overly affected by that, however, as she seemed to be very happy with letting Robin take the reins. Robin, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter. No matter how much she willed it, and her will was very strong, she could not bring Corrin to the fore.

 

But perhaps it was not a bad thing, Corrin had whispered to her one night. The girl was incredibly sheltered, and she would not have known what to do had she been on her own. Her father’s mission to capture a fortress had been an utter failure, and not simply because one of her men was a turncoat.

 

At this point, with a battle on the horizon, Robin couldn’t bring herself to deny that it would be in Corrin’s best interests to stay in the back for now.

 

The battlefield was empty; sprawling, rolling plains slashed apart by several wide streams. Robin quickly eyed the wooden bridges that arched across the streams. They were possibly wide enough for four people to stand beside each other comfortably, but would prove a cramped area for any mounted units to fight. Conversely, foot units would be trampled easily by the aforementioned riders.

 

The Hoshidan army was well equipped, Robin had to admit, as she saw them draw up ranks on her side of the battlefield. Lightly armoured foot soldiers lined up behind their commanders, all swift and agile.

 

Across from them, darkly armoured figures appeared on the horizon, the bright noon sun glinting dully off their armour. She saw a good few battalions of mounted units, both aerial and ground. It was lucky that Hoshido had an equal number of lancers and archers at their service, for otherwise their ground troops would be trampled by the steeds.

 

Ryoma, the red armoured High Prince, had already left their side to communicate with his chief strategist, leaving their remaining siblings at Robin’s side. Hinoka and Sakura had busied themselves with preparing for battle, but the light haired man who remained vigilant at her side made Robin eye him carefully out of the corner of her eye.

 

The man, or boy as it were, clutched his bow tightly and stood alert despite the distance between the two armies.

 

_Takumi's a very insecure soul. What attention he used to have from his siblings have now been turned onto me. Not only that, but he doesn’t trust my upbringing – Nohrian upbringing, no matter my roots in Hoshido._

 

Corrin’s voice was sad as she whispered into Robin’s ear. It certainly rang true with what she was seeing. Takumi was twitchy and stuck close to Robin, but the grandmaster knew it was less because of brotherly concern and more of suspicion.

 

She would have to be wary of him. Those who were already suspicious were the most difficult to sway. If she were to act very differently…well, Takumi would be the first to pick up on it amongst the Hoshidan siblings. And the first to voice it out too.

 

Soon, the time came for them to march upon the battlefield, Ryoma at their helm. Robin was told to stay in the backlines, protected by the Hoshidan royals. Part of Robin balked at being told to stay behind, but the logical side of her knew that this body wasn’t quite ready for full on battles just yet.

 

The clash of the two armies was almost like the meeting of light and dark. Nohr with its dark armour and flashes of magic. Hoshido with its pale cloth and brown bamboo armour. She watched as Ryoma danced over the heads of Nohrian soldiers, cutting them down with his Raijinto like a farmer reaping wheat. Somehow, the image of Chrom that she had overlaid atop Ryoma slowly faded away. Though her prince was liable to showy swordsmanship, Ryoma’s acrobatics and skill was so different from Chrom’s that she couldn’t possibly mistake one for the other.

 

Takumi and Hinoka had tight grips on their weapons, standing before Robin as though they wanted to shield her from the chaos. Sakura stood by Robin, staff held at the ready. Robin, with Corrin gasping in dismay inside her, merely watched the battle with wizened eyes.

 

She saw the lone ninja battalion slipping in and out of the shadows, taking down the Nohrian mages with ease. She saw the wyvern riders bringing down their Pegasus counterparts with unrivalled viciousness and bloodlust. She saw the two crown princes, heirs to their respective nations, locked in deadly combat in the very centre of the battlefield.

 

“Corrin!” Robin’s head whipped towards Hinoka, who motioned with her lance. “We can’t stay here. Let’s move!”

 

The grandmaster within a sheltered princess’s body picked out a pocket of space close to the bridges that they could retreat to. It was open and any aerial unit who broke past the barrier of archers could reach them, but units on foot would have to circle around visibly in order to engage them. Not the best option, but short of retreating to the trees, where any skilled assassin could hide with ease, they had no other choice.

 

“There!” Robin used the Yato to point out the spot. They moved quickly, Hinoka taking to the air to keep a look out. Along the way, however, their luck ran out, and a few wyvern riders dove in on the lone princess in the air. The redhead cursed and parried their axe with her lance, but the three wyverns who converged upon her was too much to handle.

 

With Takumi and Robin out of range to help and Sakura having no combat capability, Hinoka was a sitting duck.

 

Well, time to flex that brain of hers.

 

“Sakura!” Robin turned to the pink haired girl. “When I give you the signal, heal Hinoka and use those floating talismans to divert their attention. They will focus on you, but trust me.”

 

Then she turned to Takumi, “The moment they dive down to engage Sakura, shoot them out of the sky. I’ll take care of any that comes within range of Yato. Sakura, once you get their attention, get behind me. On my mark.”

 

She could see the archer open his mouth to argue, but snapped it shut once she finished explaining her plan. He nodded, and Robin grinned at Sakura.

 

“Hinoka, duck!”

 

The Pegasus knight leaned forward, the move causing her steed to dip down and plummet to the ground. At that moment, the healing glow of Sakura’s rod shone brightly around Hinoka’s body, so bright that the wyverns shied away in surprise. Their riders, however, caught sight of the lone shrine maiden.

 

That small opening allowed Hinoka to retreat to the safety of Takumi’s range. The Nohrian riders saw only two combat units and charged, forgetting that Takumi’s range and skill was far beyond that of any normal archer. In the blink of an eye, three glowing arrows struck the wyverns’ throats, bringing them down one after the other. The fall alone killed their riders, crushing them beneath their behemoth mounts.

 

Robin would have gawked at his skill had she the time to spare. Instead, she motioned for Hinoka to stay close as they raced across the battlefield to the safest spot.

 

However, it seemed that their luck was not to hold, for as they passed the bridge, they faced a far greater foe than any standard Nohrian soldier.

 

_Camilla?_

 

“Camilla?” Robin echoed Corrin’s thoughts, though with wariness rather than confusion. The woman, though she was clad in rather revealing armour, was no greenhorn to battle. The ease with which she carried her enormous axe was telling, as was the bloodthirsty grin on her pretty face.

 

Camilla, as she was called, began to pout and call out to Corrin, trying to convince the dragon princess to approach her.

 

The Nohrian princess’s words fell upon deaf ears as Robin furiously thought on how to escape the Malig Knight and the two mounted units behind her. They would be outpaced before they could make it to the trees, and by the way they were armoured they were clearly veterans of the battlefield, excluding the blonde girl. No matter Takumi’s skill and Hinoka’s ferocity, they would have trouble escaping from this fight. But there was no guarantee they would win if they stayed either. It was like being stuck between a wall and a hard place.

 

_Leo. Elise._

 

Corrin’s voice supplied, and Robin groaned as she realised she couldn’t simply be rid of these troops as she would any other. Corrin would never allow her to kill her Nohrian siblings even if she had the capacity to.

 

The two sets of siblings seemed to trigger a lull in the battle, the fighting bodies around them slowing until it seemed that Robin and the two families were the focus of every soldier.

 

Ryoma and Xander’s fight had migrated from the middle of the battlefield, both warriors ceasing their battle to stand with the respective siblings. They each spoke words to Robin, both trying to convince her to join them. Corrin, the one they were actually speaking to, was silent.

 

Robin stiffened up, and reached for her host’s consciousness.

 

_Corrin?_

 

But the manakete was silent.

 

_Corrin, you have to make a choice. These aren’t my siblings. I have no tie to them. You must tell me what to do!_

 

The two families waited for her answer, and Robin sweated as she fought to reach Corrin once more, only to fail. The girl was either refusing to answer her, or she didn’t have one to supply Robin.

 

Shit.

 

There was only one thing to do.

**Author's Note:**

> Understand that Robin has had two years of experience in the Ylissean courts. She has learned how to play the Game, and play it well. She understands that sometimes one has to be crafty in order to gain the upper hand. Don't worry, it won't always be her deceiving the other members of the Fates army. It's only those who have seen her sudden change that she has to be wary of, being Jakob and Felicia.
> 
> Also, this story will not strictly follow canon events. As seen above, Jakob and Felicia found Corrin prior to the battle in Revelations Chapter 6. There is also a small gap between Corrin's dragon transformation and the actual battle. Also, my memory of the plot is a little hazy, particularly events before the Branch of Fate. Canon events should follow the timeline once we get back to the human world. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. Please look forward to the next chapter :)


End file.
